Bordered by the Himalayan Mountain Ranges to the north, Uttar Pradesh to the south, Nepal to the east, and Himachal Pradesh and Haryana to the northwest and west, Uttaranchal or Uttarakhand is one of the important states in Northern India.
About Uttarakhand
The state is frequently denoted as the Dev Bhumi or Land of God because it houses various religious places and places of worships that are regarded as the most sacred and propitious areas of devotion and pilgrimage. Uttarakhand was created by joining a number of districts from the northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh and a portion of the Himalayan Mountain Range. At present, it is the 27th state of the country. The state is mostly famous for its scenic features and affluence of the Himalayas, the Terai, and the Bhabhar. The autonomous territory of Tibet is situated to the north of the state.
The name of the state was formally altered from Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand in 2007. Dehradun serves as the provisional capital of the state and it is also the biggest city and railway station in the state. The High Court of Uttaranchal is based in Nainital, another important city in the state. Handicrafts and handlooms are two major industries in the state. The state is also famous for being the origin of the Chipko Movement or Chipko Andolan.
Geography of Uttarakhand
The state covers a total area of 53,566 km2 or 20,682 sq miles and is the 18th biggest state in India. Most of the areas of the state are hilly and forested. The distinctive flora and fauna of the state comprise creatures like snow leopards, bharal, tigers, leopards and uncommon shrubs and trees. The Yamuna and the Ganges, two biggest rivers of the Republic of India, have their headwaters in this state. The prominent geographical features of Uttaranchal are as follows:
- Mountainous shrubland and plains
- The alpine bushes and pastures of Western Himalaya
- Moderate coniferous jungles
- Subalpine conifer jungles in the Western Himalaya
- Moderate broadleaf forests of the Western Himalaya
- Subtropical pine forests of the Himalayan mountain range
- Terai-Duar lowlands and savanna
- Humid broadleaf forests of the Upper Gangetic Plains
Tourist Attractions in Uttarakhand
Listed below are the top tourist attractions in Uttarakhand:National Parks
- Valley of Flowers National Park (Chamoli District)
- Nanda Devi National Park (Chamoli District)
- Jim Corbett National Park at Ramnagar, Nainital District. It is the first national park in the country.
- Rajaji National Park (Haridwar District)
- Gangotri National Park (Uttarkashi District)
- Govind Pashu Vihar National Park (Uttarkashi District)
Hill stations
- Mussoorie
- Nainital
- Kausani
- Almora
- Ranikhet
- Bhimtal
- Char Dham (comprising Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath)
- Haridwar (famous for the Kumbh Mela)
- Rishikesh (known as the yoga hub of India)
- Jageshwar (famous for historic temples)
- Hemkund (Sikh pilgrimage spot)
Government and Politics in Uttarakhand
Currently, the Chief Minister of the state is Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). Dr. Pokhriyal is the fifth Chief Minister of the state and he was nominated in 2009.Districts in Uttaranchal
The picturesque state of Uttaranchal is made up of 13 districts and they are broadly categorized into two divisions:Garhwal Division
- Haridwar
- Dehradun
- Uttarkashi
- Tehri Garhwal
- Pauri Garhwal (popularly named as Garhwal)
- Chamoli
- Rudraprayag
- Bageshwar
- Almora
- Nainital
- Champawat
- Udham Singh Nagar
- Pithoragarh
Airports in Uttarakhand
The state houses the following airports and heliports:- Pantnagar Airport (Pantnagar)
- Jolly Grant Airport (Dehradun)
- Uttarkashi
- Naini-Saini (Pithoragarh)
- Agastyamuni (Rudraprayag) (Heliport)
- Gochar (Chamoli)
